Variable-speed mechanism



M. ROMAINE ETAL VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM Oct. 18, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1947 5 mm M Wm WM W W db Y A r ma M a: P n

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 VARIABLE-SPEED MECHANISM Millard Romaine and Edgar D. Vancil, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Cincinnati Milling Machine 00., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 11, 1947, Serial No. 721,500

Claims. (01. 74-211) This invention relates to transmission mechanisms and more particularly to an improved variable speed transmission.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved variable speed transmission mechanism which is simple, compact, -and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a variable speed transmission mechanism which will yield a comparatively large number of variable speeds but which is composed of a relativel few number of parts.

An additional object. of this invention is to provide a variable speed transmission mechanism which is especially adaptable for use in small machines because of its compact construction and relatively few number of parts but which will yield a larger number of speed rates than is now attainable with present devices utilized in small machines.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like or similar parts:

Figure 1 is an elevational View partly in section showing the general arrangement of the transmission mechanism.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the back gear arrangement of this transmission.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the reference numeral Ill indicates a supporting frame for the transmission mechanism; and this frame may be, for instance, a part of a machine to which this invention is applicable, an exemplary machine being a small milling machine or the like which has a tool spindle, for instance, which it is desired to drive at a number of different speeds. In such machines the space available for the transmission mechanism is very limited and therefore insufiicient to contain a conventional design of variable speed shiftable gear transmission which will yield a satisfactory range of spindle speeds. Furthermore, such a transmission would unduly increase the cost for a small machine.

In order to more readily understand the application and usefulness of this invention the part to be driven is shown as a tool spindle and indicated by the reference numeral ll, although it will be readily understood that this spindle could be a driving spindle for a work supporting member or the like without departing from the spirit of this invention.

' the tool with respect to the work and therefore the spindle is shown journaled in an adjustable quill member [2 by means of anti-friction bearings I3.

The spindle is held against movement with respect to the quill by providing a shoulder M on the spindle, and the inner races of the antifriction bearings are clamped against this shoulder with the aid of a spacing member l5 by a nut I 6 which is threaded at I! on the spindle. The outer races of the anti-friction bearings are clamped between a shoulder l8 of the quill member I2 and a threaded member l9 which is internally threaded in the end of the quill member. It will thus be apparent that one end of the spindle is secured by the anti-friction thrust bearings l3 in the quill for axial movement therewith but for relative rotation with respect thereto.

Means are provided for longitudinally adjusting the quill in the bore 20 formed in the frame of the machine comprising rack teeth 2| which are cut in the peripheryof the quill and interengaged by a worm gear 22 supported for rotation by the shaft 23. The member 22 also has bevel gear teeth 24 formed thereon which mesh with bevel gear teeth 25 formed on the end of adjusting spindle 26. This spindle has a hexagon head 21 and an indicating dial 28 connected therewith for imparting rotation to the member 22 and thereby creating axial adjustment of the quill.

The other end of the spindle I I is provided with a reduced diameter 29 upon which is mounted the inner race 30 of an anti-friction bearing 3| for supporting that end of the spindle.

The outer race 32 is clamped in a hub member 33 between a shoulder 34 and a clamping sleeve 35. This arrangement permits the portion 29 of the spindle H to be axially adjusted relative to the bearing 3| upon axial adjustment of the quill.

The hub member 33 is provided with a shoulder 36 and anti-friction thrust bearing inem- (bers 31 with the aid of a spacer 38 are clamped between shoulder 36 and the clamping nut 39 3 threaded on the end of the hub member. The outer races of the bearing members 81 are secured by a force fit in the bore 40 formed in the 4 supporting frame II. The construction is such engagement by similar clutch teeth 44 formed on the shiftable clutch member 45. The clutch member 45 is connected by means of splines 46 to the spindle II and is slidable on these splines to effect engagement or disengagement of the clutch teeth. By means of this connection it is apparent that the clutch member 45 may be moved axially relative to the spindle II to eflect engagement or disengagement of the, clutch teeth, and furthermore that regardless of the engaged or disengaged position of the clutch member 45, the spindle II may be moved by means of the quill relative to the clutch member, and therefore either one may be moved relative to the other. It should now be apparent that when the clutch is in its engaged position that rotation of the hub member will impart rotation to the spindle I I.

The hub member is adapted to' be driven at a plurality of speeds by means of the following mechanism from a prime mover indicated by the reference numeral 41. For the purpose of this invention the prime mover 41 is secured by means of bolts 48, as more particularly shown in Figure 2, to a swinging frame 49 which is pivotally supported upon a shaft 50 which, as shown in Figure l, is supported in suitable bores formed in the frame of the machine. The pivoted frame carries a nut member 52 which is pivotally supported by trunnion means 53 between side bars 54 which are welded or otherwise secured to the frame 49.

The nut member 52 has an adjusting screw 55 threaded therein, and this adjusting screw has a reduced portion 56 by which it is journaled in the frame of the machine. A hand wheel 51 is secured to the end of the screw for imparting rotation thereto and a locking screw 58 is provided for radial engagement with the portion 58 for clamping the screw after adjustment. 7

It will be noted that the parts-are so located with respect to the pivot that rotation of the screw will effect raising or lowering of the prime mover 41 in a substantially vertical direction. The motor is connected to drive a pulley 59 which is shown as directly connected to the armature shaft 60 of the prime mover 41. For the purposes of this invention the pulley 59 is shown as a step cone pulley with each step in the form of a groove and thus there are four V-grooves 6|, 62, 63, and 84.

The hub member 33 is also provided with a multiple sheave pulley 85 which also has four V-grooves 66, 61, 68, and 69 formed therein. The pulley is keyed at 18 to a shifter sleeve II which has a sliding spline connection at I2 on the projecting end of the hub member 33.

The four grooved steps of one pulley are equal in diameter respectively to the four grooves in the other pulley, but by inversely mounting one pulley with respect to the other the smallest step GI maybe aligned with the largest step 66, and the largest step 64 of the pulley 59 may be aligned with the smallest step 69 of pulley 65. Thus by mg the amount of equipment.

raising the motor, the belt 18, which interconnects these pulleys, may be shifted from one set of grooves to the next set of aligned grooves whereby a series of four diiierent speeds, including a high speed, a low speed. and a plurality of intermediate speeds may be obtained for driving the spindle from the motor.

Means have been provided for shifting the -pulley 65 so that an additional number of intermediate speeds may be obtained without increas- As previously stated, the pulley 55 is keyed to the shifter sleeve H and this sleeve is provided with a groove 14 in which fits a shifter fork I5 fixed to the end of a shifter rod 18. The shifter rod is slidably mounted in a bore 'll formed in the frame of the machine and is provided with rack teeth I8 engageable by a pinion I9. The pinion is fixed for rotation by a shifter lever which has an operating knob 8|. This knob is secured to the end of a pin 82 which is slideable in the end of the lever 80 and is adapted to be placed in any one of three different holes 83, 84, or 85 for locking the shifter pulley in any one of three positions 88, 81, or 88 which correspond respectively to the three holes.

It will be noted that the end of the pulley having the larger diameter is next to the frame or column of the machine and that the shifter fork engages the shifter'groove of the sleeve II internally of this large diameter, thereby reducing overhang of the supporting shaft and pulley. This is very important as it results in a very compact structure. By shifting the pulley to the two additional positions, indicated by dotted lines in the drawings, two different sets of alignments of the pulley sheaves are obtained which yield a total of five additional different intermediate speeds, thereby increasing the total number of speeds available to nine speeds.

These speeds are available for driving the spindle through engagement of the clutch member 45 which is adapted to be shifted by a shifter fork 89 which is pivotally mounted on a fixed pin 90. The lever 89 carries a pin 9| which is en: gaged by the bifurcated end 92 of a bell crank lever 93 pivoted on a fixed pin 94. The bell crank lever has an operating knob 95 which is adapted to be held in either one of two positions by a pin 96 integral with the knob and insertable in holes 91 and 98 formed in the i'rameof the machine.

The lever 89 is provided on its upper end with a shifter fork 99 which is adapted to engage a back gear I00 of a gear couple I M having a second gear I02 integral therewith. With the parts in the position shown in Figure 1 it will be obvious that rotation of the crank 93 in a clockwise the gear I83 may slide with respect to the gear I02 axially so that the quill adjustment .of the spindle may be utilized without disturbing the engagement of the gears. Since the'gear 42 is fixed with the hub member, this problem does not arise in connection with the gear pair 42--I00.

It should now be apparent that a very compact and eflicient variable speed transmission has been provided which is especially useful in small machines where it is desired to make available a large number of speeds with a minimum amount of equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. In a variable speed transmission, the combination with a driven member, of a power actuated driving member, means to support the driving member in parallel axial relationship to the driven member, means to adjust the driving member toward and from the driven member, cone pulleys mounted on the respective members, each having the same number of different diametered steps but said pulleys being mounted in inverse order whereby the largest diameter step of one pulley is aligned with the smallest diameter step of the other pulley, a belt shiftable to interconnect the various pairs of steps to produce a plurality of variable speeds, means to shift the driven pulley axially with respect to the axis of the other pulley to align the steps in different pairs, and means for laterally shifting the power actuated shaft toward and from the driven shaft to facilitate shifting of the motion transmitting means.

2. In a variable speed transmission for actuating a driven part,'the combination of a pair of rotatable members supported for rotation about parallel axes, multiple diameter pulleys operatively connected to the respective members and in prescribed alignment, power operable means for driving one pulley, a belt shiftable with respect to said pulleys to interconnect them in a prescribed series of different speed ratios, means to shift one of said pulleys parallel to the other to provide a new alignment to produce an additional series of speeds, means to shift one of said members laterally toward and from the other to facilitate the shifting of said belt, and means to selectively interconnect said driven part in a plurality pulley to further increase the number of available 3. a variable speed transmission, the combination with a driven part, of a pair of rotatable members one of which is power actuated, multisheave pulleys operatively connected to said members, the series of sheaves of each pulley being of different diameters but inversely aligned, a belt for interconnecting a selected pair of sheaves, a shifter operatively connected to one of said pulleys for shiftin it parallel to the other pulley to present a new series of speed positions, means to lock the shifter in any one of its diilerent positions, a second shifter, means operated thereby for connecting said driven part to one of said rotatable members in diflerent speed ratics, and means to lock said shiftable member in its various positions.

4. In a machine tool having a spindle and a quill adjusting mechanism for changing the axial position of said spindle, thecombination of means for driving said spindle at a plurality of variable speeds regardless of its axial position including a rotatable member axially aligned with said spindle and in telescoping relation therewith, means to drive said member at a plurality of variable speeds including a pair of parof different speed ratios with -the driven allel aligned pulleys, said pulleys having a pmrality of multi-diametered sheaves. one pulley being inversely arranged with respect to the other, a belt for interconnecting said sheaves in pairs to produce a prescribed series of speeds, means to shift one pulley with respect to the other to produce a diflerent series of speeds, said rotatable member being axially fixed whereby the pulley and the spindle may be independently shifted relative thereto to insure actuation of the spindle regardless of its axial position.

5. In a machine tool having a support, a spindle and a quill adjusting mechanism for rotatably supporting said spindle in said support and imparting axial adjustment thereto, the combination of means for driving said spindle at a plurality of rates in all positions of adjustment thereof including a rotatable sleeve journaled in said support having a gear formed on one end thereof and a shiftable multiple sheave pulley mounted on the other end thereof, a power operable multiple sheave pulley mounted in said support with its sheaves in alignment with the sheaves of the first-named pulley, a belt for selectively connecting pairs of said sheaves for obtaining a, first series of speeds, means to axially shift the first-named pulley with respect to the second-named pulley to realign said sheaves to produce a second series of speeds, a gear fixed with said spindle, means to directly clutch the gear on said sleeve with the spindle, a set of back gears. means to shift the back gears into engagement with the sleevegear and spindle gear, one of said back gears being made of sumcient width to permit axial adjustment of thespindle.

6. In a machine tool having a support, a spindleand a quill adjusting mechanism rotatably supporting said spindle in said support and for imparting axial adjustment thereto, the combination of means for driving said spindle at a plurality of rates in all positions of axial adjustment thereof including a sleeve rotatably Journaled in said support having a gear formed on one end thereof, a shiftable multiple sheave pulley mounted on the other end thereof, power operable means driving said pulley at a plurality of rates, a gear fixed with said spindle for axial movement therewith, a clutch splined on said spindle and shiftable into clutching engagement with said sleeve gear, means to lock the clutch in clutching position to permit axial movement of the spindle, a set of back gears, said locking means being shiftable to disengage said clutch means and effect operative engagement of the back gears with the sleeve gear and spindle gear, one of said back gears being made of suillcient width to permit axial adjustment of the spindle gear while maintaining engagement therewith.

MIILARD ROMAINI.

. EDGAR D. VANCIL.

REFERENCES CITED 'Thefollowingreferencesareofreeordinths 1,383,780 Hey Dec. 28. 1920 

